The 2023 federal Budget, handed down in May by the Treasurer, Dr Jim Chalmers, sent a signal that the Albanese government has an appetite for the long process of healthcare reform we have all been calling for.

This Budget is focused on securing the future sustainability of general practice, which has been under-resourced by federal governments for many years.

However, we maintain our stance that primary healthcare is much bigger than general practice alone and that physiotherapy has the capacity to add significant value to the reform required to improve the patient experience and reduce the cost of care.

One pleasing aspect of the federal Budget for physiotherapy is a commitment that the primary health networks will work with allied health to deliver commissioned services to communities of need.

This should provide opportunities for existing physiotherapy practices to engage with the primary health networks within their communities and improve service delivery.

These interactions between physiotherapy clinics and primary health networks will also allow us to demonstrate what we as a profession can contribute to primary healthcare.

A significant part of our Future of Physiotherapy in Australia: A 10-year vision policy white paper strategy has been to push for engagement with the primary health networks Australia-wide.

For the first time in the history of federal budgets, we saw funding for the evaluation of allied health professionals’ scope of practice and different models of care.

This will be our opportunity to demonstrate what we do differently from other professions, our value within primary healthcare and that our models of care and reform pathways are essential to the success of the health reform agenda that this government is pursuing.

It’s a potential pathway to publicly funded first contact physiotherapy in primary care, the ability to refer to specialists, imaging rebates equal to those of GPs and integration with urgent care centres.

The Workforce Incentive Program has been evolving over the past few years since its inception under the Morrison government.

This Budget has opened the door to applying it flexibly to meet the needs of local communities.

That does not mean an employment contract between GP surgeries and physiotherapists.

Rather, it opens up possibilities for contracting and for engagement with local services to allow community access to physiotherapy.

It could also lead to interdisciplinary connection between all healthcare providers associated with local health hubs.

It is another opportunity for physiotherapy practices to work with general practice to improve access and health outcomes.

The APA has been calling for increased digital connection to My Health Record and more efficient secured messaging between us all.

Better interdisciplinary communication and access to relevant patient information in real time will help ensure quality and safety, paramount considerations when managing medical conditions.

It was encouraging to hear that the government is serious about working through the connection issues and futureproofing the system.

At a recent health summit I attended, this sentiment was echoed by the most influential digital experts in the world, who say that finally we have a real opportunity to get it right. 

I think the 2023 federal Budget can start us on a path to genuine health reform.

The signal from Minister for Health and Aged Care Mark Butler and the Treasurer is that this will be a long journey and we intend to continue to advocate along the way for better healthcare for our communities.

That must include physiotherapy in different models of care and funding that ensure the sustainability of the healthcare system and, more importantly, improve the patient journey.

Take care, stay safe.

Scott Willis APAM
APA National President